Mace Road was named in 1912

Wednesday

Apr 9, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Is Mace Road in Medford named for Bob Mace, formerly of Oregon Fish and Wildlife? I noticed there is a room at the county fairgrounds, the Bob and Phyllis Mace Watchable Wildlife Memorial Center, and it made me wonder whether the street was named for him or his wife, as well. If so, did they own the property where the street and houses were built?

Is Mace Road in Medford named for Bob Mace, formerly of Oregon Fish and Wildlife? I noticed there is a room at the county fairgrounds, the Bob and Phyllis Mace Watchable Wildlife Memorial Center, and it made me wonder whether the street was named for him or his wife, as well. If so, did they own the property where the street and houses were built?

— L.N., via email

Considering Bob Mace's long career and contributions to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which extended from 1946 to 1981, it'd be logical to assume his accomplishments would merit the naming of a road in his honor.

After all, he's the man who coined the now-common term "Watchable Wildlife" to define animals that fell outside the definition of "game."

But there's more than one Mace in Medford's past, it seems.

Thanks to records uncovered by city of Medford address and database technician Jennifer Ingram, we learned that the road's name stems from a 1912 plat for Mace Subdivisions.

Bob Mace was 84 when he passed away in 2006, so 1912 would be about 10 years before he was born.

That 1912 tract of land was annexed into the city of Medford in 1957, so we checked with Jackson County Roads for further information.

"The people who owned the property were Clifton and Irma Taylor," county engineer Mike Kuntz said. "So they clearly didn't name it after themselves."

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